Biography

Students can research one of the many famous soldiers from the Civil War. Where was the person born? In a free or slave state? What Civil War battle did he first participate in? What battle is he most famous for fighting in? Why? Where did he live his life after the war? What did he do?

Students can write a biography of this person and illustrate their report with maps from the collection. search for maps of the person's home state, sites of battles, and where he died. Do these maps provide additional insight into the soldier's life? For example, before the war, did this person live in a place where he may have been exposed to the views of those who would later become the enemy at war? Did he travel far from home during the war? Or did he stay close to home and fight in areas familiar to him? How might this familiarity with battle sites have helped him at war?